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A Circle of Salt
Vasilissa is accustomed to spending her days in a world of eternal summer, but when her carelessness causes harm to a human being, she is exiled to the human world. Vasilissa tries to keep herself aloof, but as she interacts with men and women and learns about their struggles, cares, and bravery, she begins to care more than she thought possible.
But Vasilissa is not the only magical being in that world, and it will take all of her strength, wits, and magic to survive. The ancient witch Baba Yaga, and her servant, Koschei, are intent on ruling the world with blood magic.
And only Vasilissa’s blood will do.
But Vasilissa is not the only magical being in that world, and it will take all of her strength, wits, and magic to survive. The ancient witch Baba Yaga, and her servant, Koschei, are intent on ruling the world with blood magic.
And only Vasilissa’s blood will do.
- GenresFantasy
356 pages, Paperback
First published March 4, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 9, 2015
I had the privilege of reading this before it was published and it has stuck with me for such a long time!
It stuck with me because the author's words painted such very *vivid* pictures. I felt like I had walked into a fairy-tale book illustrated by Mercer Mayer or Trina Schart Hyman. Even months after I finished it, I could still *see* Vasilissa, the heroine, running desperately from the wicked Koschei, or in the warm peasant's cabin, or surrounded by the clear, light sea on the island where she met her beloved.
It's odd, I suppose, to insist that a good author can paint a picture with nothing but words, but Weaver is one who can.
One oddity stuck with me as well, and that was the unexplained coexistence of Faerie and of Russian Orthodox Christianity. The truth is, though, I that I thought the plain mystery was a more honest solution than almost any other I could think of.
I enjoyed reading this very much, and I'm still struck, as I turn back to it, by the clarity of Weaver's prose.
I am also deeply grateful for such a lovely (and loving) introduction to Russian folktales. I didn't know much about them before I picked up this book, and now I feel like I know not only some of the good stories, but a good deal of the heart behind them.
It stuck with me because the author's words painted such very *vivid* pictures. I felt like I had walked into a fairy-tale book illustrated by Mercer Mayer or Trina Schart Hyman. Even months after I finished it, I could still *see* Vasilissa, the heroine, running desperately from the wicked Koschei, or in the warm peasant's cabin, or surrounded by the clear, light sea on the island where she met her beloved.
It's odd, I suppose, to insist that a good author can paint a picture with nothing but words, but Weaver is one who can.
One oddity stuck with me as well, and that was the unexplained coexistence of Faerie and of Russian Orthodox Christianity. The truth is, though, I that I thought the plain mystery was a more honest solution than almost any other I could think of.
I enjoyed reading this very much, and I'm still struck, as I turn back to it, by the clarity of Weaver's prose.
I am also deeply grateful for such a lovely (and loving) introduction to Russian folktales. I didn't know much about them before I picked up this book, and now I feel like I know not only some of the good stories, but a good deal of the heart behind them.
March 17, 2017
This was an absolutely delightful reading experience. So refreshing!
Essentially, A Circle of Salt it is a collection of fairy tales and fables told through the actions and narrative of one character, Vasilissa. She's a fairy who gets banished from her realm for being a proud and conceited creature. She has to atone for that over lifetimes among the world of men, so each fairy tale is told as part of her experience in atoning for her lack of empathy, humility, and kindness. It's lush, immersive, and magical, without being overwrought.
I can't say I'm always fond of current writing styles, even in genres I like. It tends to be, I don't know too... contemporary? I'll come back to that sometime when I better understand what I am trying to say haha. Anyway, my favorite thing about this book is that Weaver has written it in that wonderful old-fashioned style that goes beyond nostalgia. It really communicates the moral themes you'd read in classic fairy tales in a new way.
The section I ADORED the most was the story called The Treasure. It was so beautiful as Vasilissa encounters God and Christ in church and experiences themes of grace, love, salvation, and death. I could almost taste that section of the book because it was so rich! The visuals in this book remind me a lot of one of my favorite books of all time, The Last Unicorn. Likewise, I see a lot of the imagery in the classic Rankin and Bass or Japanese animation forms.
I applaud Weaver for publishing independently (rock fist). I'm all about independent art. My only issue with this book is that the formatting is kind of strange, and there are no page numbers! Hard to keep track of where you're at or watching your bar on Goodreads haha. Other than that, it's wonderful. ♥
Essentially, A Circle of Salt it is a collection of fairy tales and fables told through the actions and narrative of one character, Vasilissa. She's a fairy who gets banished from her realm for being a proud and conceited creature. She has to atone for that over lifetimes among the world of men, so each fairy tale is told as part of her experience in atoning for her lack of empathy, humility, and kindness. It's lush, immersive, and magical, without being overwrought.
I can't say I'm always fond of current writing styles, even in genres I like. It tends to be, I don't know too... contemporary? I'll come back to that sometime when I better understand what I am trying to say haha. Anyway, my favorite thing about this book is that Weaver has written it in that wonderful old-fashioned style that goes beyond nostalgia. It really communicates the moral themes you'd read in classic fairy tales in a new way.
The section I ADORED the most was the story called The Treasure. It was so beautiful as Vasilissa encounters God and Christ in church and experiences themes of grace, love, salvation, and death. I could almost taste that section of the book because it was so rich! The visuals in this book remind me a lot of one of my favorite books of all time, The Last Unicorn. Likewise, I see a lot of the imagery in the classic Rankin and Bass or Japanese animation forms.
I applaud Weaver for publishing independently (rock fist). I'm all about independent art. My only issue with this book is that the formatting is kind of strange, and there are no page numbers! Hard to keep track of where you're at or watching your bar on Goodreads haha. Other than that, it's wonderful. ♥
September 8, 2015
I was completely swept up in this book. It has lovely, lyrical writing, gorgeous imagery, and a wonderful, old-fashioned feel that reminded me of George MacDonald.
E. J. Weaver does an amazing job weaving together Russian fairy tales into a compelling narrative about proud Vasilissa, one of the Folk cast out of the Summer Realm and forced to live among humans.
I was completely fascinated with how NON-human Vasilissa is at first: she shape-shifts into a horse and a fish. She raises towers from the ground. But she finds herself slowly caught up in the affairs of certain humans who she meets and helps along the way, even while she's being hunted by the terrifying Koschei, the Deathless. Koschei is the servant of the witch Baba Yaga, who wants to use Vasilissa to open the door to the Summer Realm…
The book is broken into sections instead of chapters: Vasilissa the Proud, Sivka-Birka, The Fisherman and His Wife, etc., and each section is a mini-story in and of itself, following the thread of Vasilissa's long sojourn in the human world. The stories are steeped in beauty and terror and joy, sorrow and longing, but love and hope, too.
A CIRCLE OF SALT kind of broke my heart, a little, but in a good way. Read it on a rainy afternoon with a big cup of tea and a cat nearby for snuggling if you get too teary.
E. J. Weaver does an amazing job weaving together Russian fairy tales into a compelling narrative about proud Vasilissa, one of the Folk cast out of the Summer Realm and forced to live among humans.
I was completely fascinated with how NON-human Vasilissa is at first: she shape-shifts into a horse and a fish. She raises towers from the ground. But she finds herself slowly caught up in the affairs of certain humans who she meets and helps along the way, even while she's being hunted by the terrifying Koschei, the Deathless. Koschei is the servant of the witch Baba Yaga, who wants to use Vasilissa to open the door to the Summer Realm…
The book is broken into sections instead of chapters: Vasilissa the Proud, Sivka-Birka, The Fisherman and His Wife, etc., and each section is a mini-story in and of itself, following the thread of Vasilissa's long sojourn in the human world. The stories are steeped in beauty and terror and joy, sorrow and longing, but love and hope, too.
A CIRCLE OF SALT kind of broke my heart, a little, but in a good way. Read it on a rainy afternoon with a big cup of tea and a cat nearby for snuggling if you get too teary.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews